Cozumel Rash/Little Bumps

[quietstorm]

Well, while the mystery continues, the rash and bumps are fading.

Thanks Diver Junkie for thinking outside the box; was just joking with you, hope you understand. For the record, the places that I stay in Cozumel have a sign posted outside the hotel property that reads: No Bedbugs Allowed.

I do not have any allergies, except for cats, and they are not allowed to dive with me.

To the other person who suggested I not touch anything under water, I had to chuckle, since that suggestion goes without saying, non? But thanks for the idea. In fact, I am acutely aware and careful not to touch anything with any part of my body or equipment under water. This in contrast to the many, including divemasters, whose octopus or computer or fins haphazardly strike the coral and such.:shocked2:

Dandy: thanks for the info; vinegar has never worked for this rash or hot water or even cortisone cream.

Aside from the fact that at the outset of the rash, my hands look scary as all get out, there are no side effects or discomfort.

The rash is fading and my hands no longer look like they came from a science fiction movie.

 

[littleleemur]

We had something similar to what you're describing & it turned out to be invisible stinging coral on the drift line. It took us a while to figure out what it was because we didn't touch any part of the reef.

Now, I explain this to the DM and always have my gloves on when getting in and out of the water (or quick access to them). I show the DM that I take them off during the dive and put them back on when we surface and need to hang onto the line to wait our turn to get back into the boat.

 

[scubawife]

I get what sounds pretty much like this just about every trip to Cozumel. Less in Dec-Feb then at other times. I get it on my hands and face (oh so attractive). I have never rubbed or bumped any coral or hydroids of any kind. It's some really tiny thing stinging me. I feel the pricking underwater and if I rub it when I feel it, it gets worse. Within an hour or so the rash starts. Only one other person I've dived with has gotten this. Maybe we're just magnets for whatever little organism is doing it? (Topside I'm also the one who can get chewed alive when nobody else is being bothered.) Once the rash starts it's not painful or itchy. Cortisone helps a bit with the redness. Vinegar just stings and makes it worse.

 

[scubawife]

We had something similar to what you're describing & it turned out to be invisible stinging coral on the drift line. It took us a while to figure out what it was because we didn't touch any part of the reef.

Now, I explain this to the DM and always have my gloves on when getting in and out of the water (or quick access to them). I show the DM that I take them off during the dive and put them back on when we surface and need to hang onto the line to wait our turn to get back into the boat.

Do little organisms spawn of the corals and get out into the water column and sting? Is that what you mean by invisible stinging coral?

I do get it on some dives more then others. Also have had it in other Caribbean destinations, not just Cozumel.

 

[DandyDon]

Well, while the mystery continues, the rash and bumps are fading.

Thanks Diver Junkie for thinking outside the box; was just joking with you, hope you understand. For the record, the places that I stay in Cozumel have a sign posted outside the hotel property that reads: No Bedbugs Allowed.

I do not have any allergies, except for cats, and they are not allowed to dive with me.

I don't think we have established that it's happening in the dives for a fact, just that it's happening in Cozumel. If it were bed bugs, you'd have it on your neck too I think, and if cats - you wouldn't have it at all since surely you don't touch any. Since you get it on your hands, but not neck, while on a Coz trip - then the evidence suggests it's something your hand-touching, be it in water or out.

To the other person who suggested I not touch anything under water, I had to chuckle, since that suggestion goes without saying, non? But thanks for the idea. In fact, I am acutely aware and careful not to touch anything with any part of my body or equipment under water. This in contrast to the many, including divemasters, whose octopus or computer or fins haphazardly strike the coral and such.:shocked2:

Dandy: thanks for the info; vinegar has never worked for this rash or hot water or even cortisone cream.

Aside from the fact that at the outset of the rash, my hands look scary as all get out, there are no side effects or discomfort.

The rash is fading and my hands no longer look like they came from a science fiction movie.

Not enough info to really say, but initial thinking suggests a need for gloves - except we don't know for sure if you need water gloves or where?

BTW, did you try antihistamines to reduce the allergic reactions?

We had something similar to what you're describing & it turned out to be invisible stinging coral on the drift line. It took us a while to figure out what it was because we didn't touch any part of the reef.

Now, I explain this to the DM and always have my gloves on when getting in and out of the water (or quick access to them). I show the DM that I take them off during the dive and put them back on when we surface and need to hang onto the line to wait our turn to get back into the boat.

That is much more likely than anything else that's come up, ty. Coz doesn't use mooring lines which can grow hand-cutting barnacles, but the lines can indeed harbor organisms that could irritate one susceptible person while not bothering most.

Do little organisms spawn of the corals and get out into the water column and sting? Is that what you mean by invisible stinging coral?

I do get it on some dives more then others. Also have had it in other Caribbean destinations, not just Cozumel.

That is possible, hell some people are even more reactive to salt water alone, but you said "I get it on my hands and face" and "I feel the pricking underwater" while the OP has said only on hands and not so clearly stated it being an in water problem. For you, it might be good to try a protective film of petroleum jelly or something - eh, best ask DAN; phone calls are free. For the OP tho, it seems to be something being handled - not just exposed to in the water.

 

[South4Scuba]

Is anybody familiar with pica pica? This is somehow related to either an algae bloom or jelly fish.

I am told that it can be really bad in Belize around April and early May. I am planning a trip to COZ and was curious if they have the same issues in April and May.

I have dived in COZ in July, February and March and never really had a problem.

Any experiences?

 

[Torcatdog]

Hello, I experienced the same blossom of red bumps on the back of both of my hands. I know where mine came from. It was on Santa Rosa Wall in Cozumel. I was taking a photo of a lobster tucked into a nook, as I framed the shot in my viewfinder I felt a pretty strong stinging on the back of my hands. I looked over my camera and realized I had come extremely close to the lobster and some black superfine feathery life form surrounding the nook had rejected my advance.

I swam on for another 30 minutes and tried to put it out of my mind. When we returned to the boat I asked Sandro (DM) what it may have been. I had taken a picture which he reviewed. He called it Hydrocoral. Whatever it was it did not really bother me that much. Many small red bumps formed over the next 3 days and itched a bit but was not too obnoxious. We returnrd to Minnesota and it seemed to grow for the next 2 weeks or so. My doctor prescribed some steroid cream which did not do much. It seriously took about a month and then started to just fade away. I agree that my exposure made the back of my hands look like something out of a horror movie during that month. All better now and a little wiser!

I've encountered the itty bitty stinging jelly fish too, on a group snokeling trip. I experienced dozens of itty bitty stings all over my body and all of them were gone by the next day.

Is anybody familiar with pica pica? This is somehow related to either an algae bloom or jelly fish.

I am told that it can be really bad in Belize around April and early May. I am planning a trip to COZ and was curious if they have the same issues in April and May.

I have dived in COZ in July, February and March and never really had a problem.

Any experiences?

 

[Divedoggie]

I am not guessing.
Sea lice - stay safe at the beach!
I'm sure that you have been stung by thimble jellyfish larvae. They are invisible to the eye, and will sting after you get out of the water and start drying off. They effect the areas of exposed skin not protected by neoprene. They can be trapped inside a lycra bathing suit and sting badly if you jump into a swimming pool while they are still in the suit. As they drain off the neoprene they end up un your hands and sting as they die. For some reason, maybe your sunscreen, they didn't sting your face and neck.
In Coz they seem to hatch during the late winter and early spring months (Varies a little year to year. March and April are usually the worst.) Sometimes there will be a bunch blown in over one reef like Santa Rosa, but another Reef like Columbia might not have any.
Try rubbing Safesea on your face and hands before diving next time. I bet your rash will never appear.

 

[littleleemur]

Scubawife, if it is on your face and other exposed areas and not only on the palms of your hands, it would definitely be sea lice and in Coz specifically jelly larvae. I can't remember specifically which category these jellies fall in for treatment but as Divedoggie reccomends prevention is always best.

Treatment for jellies fall in 2 categories: vinegar or room temp salt water and involve 2 main steps. All jellie stings are miniature hooks with a chemical in them. First scrape the hooks off with a credit card or try shaving with a razor (rinse razor with what you are rinsing yourself with, in between), then rinse your skin and your entire exposure suit and swimwear inside and out (to prevent transfer or restinging yourself tomorrow with leftover stings). The choice of rinse (type & temperature) is important as the wrong one would trigger release of more chemicals making the symtoms worse. The main problem here is which jellies are which? (I think DAN has an updated article about different jelly stings) Sometimes in an area you have multiple species and you don't know which one's (or all) larvae stung you. Also, should you decide to rinse with salt water, you might risk recontaminating yourself with the same water you got stung with in the first place. :shocked2:

Here's another thread that goes into this in more detail:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/230816-vinegar-no-longer-included-my-dive-bag.html


Torcatdog, the feathery stuff is a hydroid and what you got was a chemical sting. A very hot shower or vinegar will help neutalize this, but only when applied immediately. It's a little like a mosquito bite, the more you scratch the worse it gets & the longer it hangs around. This is also the stuff (plus fire coral) that spawns and attaches itself to anything it can to grow (i.e. lines). You can get a delayed reaction up to 2 weeks after the event and symptoms can last up to a month. If you get a delayed reaction, there isn't much you can do other than to tough it out.

 

[DandyDon]

OK, from T-Cat's experiences, maybe it was hands only in water, even tho the OP insists s/he touched nothing. Some people are more sensitive. Medical gloves, hot water soaks, whatever seems to help.